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In the posting by Fourm Member the Council are defending their actions by blaming a judge for previously criticising them for not considering a childs cultural and ethnic needs.

This is what the Michael Gove for the government said in 2011

"Speaking ahead of an event at Coram’s Foundling Museum, Secretary of State for Education, Michael Gove said:

Thousands of children are currently in the care system waiting to be adopted. Every day they wait is a day they’re denied the loving home all children deserve. But politically correct attitudes and ridiculous bureaucracy keep many of those children waiting far too long. Edicts which say children have to be adopted by families with the same ethnic background and which prevent other families adopting because they don’t fit left- wing prescriptions are denying children the love they need.

As a result children from ethnic minority backgrounds languish in care for longer than other kids and are denied the opportunities they deserve. This misguided nonsense punishes those who most need our help and that is why this government is sweeping it away"

You (it) did not say when this judge made this comment, whether it was before or after the government guidance was published is of course important.

It also seems to be the case that the judge criticised the council for "not considering" the cultural and ethnic needs of the child. So long as they show they have "considered" then the judges comments would have been complied with.

Was the judge's remark made in respect to these children or were the remarks made about the sexual exploitation from ethnic minorities See Coventry Telegraph or a serious case review BBC News? It would appear that Rotherham has history along with a pending by-election to replace Dennis McShane. I suspect that there has been an over-reaction to previous criticism.

The mistake was placing the children with this couple in the first place

Why would it be a mistake, these are a couple who are prepared to give a home to children who need help, they haven't said any thing about not having children who aren't white or British, this is purely some politicly correct mad idea that they must be racist if they vote for UKIP.

Who ever thought this up needs sacking and if that person is more concerned about how some one votes rather than the child's needs then they shouldn't have any thing to do with children.

Unfortunately within the context of looking after children most Councils are now being ultra sensitive. They have been dammed over mistakes that have been made over the years and people forget the hundreds of successful adoption and fostering that are made every year.

The judge was correct in his comment, it would be better to place a child in their ethnic group but this is not always possible and in this case not splitting up the children was deemed to be preferable. Finding a home for three children is difficult at short notice and as this was an emergency placement it probable that this fostering was never going to be a long term thing.

I think the councils decision was an over-reaction by one over-zealous official.

It is well recognised there are relatively few foster families and many children requiring support from these families. To me it doesn't matter a jot what the colour of the child is provided it gets support within a family environment. Whether it is considered that an ethnic family support is required must be secondary to the overall benefit of a stable family life. Failing such consideration and placing the ethnic element first would be a recipe for disaster for all those children of single or mixed race in any single race family different to their own as attempting to provide an ethnic background would be likely to cause both social and psychological problems.

Perhaps both our judges and Social Services should consider this ahead of worrying about how the adults in a family vote.

Having read more reports it would seem that a judge (unnamed) made a criticism about the care of these children probably about a previous instance of fostering. The Rotherham officials seem to have become over sensitive and therefore over reacted. It will be interesting to see what happens on Monday after the Councillors have investigated.

So, any politician claiming to be concerned about the children should shut up

Without these politicians shouting from the rooftop about the injustice that's been done to these two people it would have been swept under the carpet and you would have had some smarmy social worker congratulating herself on a job well done.

Hopefully this may just stop it happening to some other child or couple.

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